RCSI Connolly hosts Graduate Entry Open Day

14 January 2013

The second Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) Graduate Entry Programme (GEP) Open Day took place at Connolly Hospital on Saturday 12th January 2013. A total of 60 potential GEP students, from a diverse range of academic backgrounds, attended the Open Day. The format of the day was based around small group interactive sessions which provided participants with the opportunity to experience ‘a day in the life' of an RCSI GEP Student. The theme for the day was diabetes.

The event was opened by Professor Seamus Sreenan, Director of GEP, who welcomed the attendees and provided an overview of RCSI. This was followed by a series of short talks about the GEP programme, RCSI facilities, the structure and style of the curriculum, details of the CAO application process, GAMSAT and bank loan facilities presented by Prof. Sreenan and Céleste Golden, EU Admissions Officer, RCSI.

Prof. Sreenan, a Consultant Endocrinologist at Connolly Hospital, introduced a diabetes patient to the attendees in the style of the ‘case of the week'; a weekly clinical case presented each Monday during the first two years of the programme which informs the teaching for the week. The case was followed by a series of small group interactive sessions.

Dr. Wan Mahmood and Nurse Eithne Kavanagh introduced the prospective students to Diagnostic Investigations, which provided an introduction to basic clinical skills with an emphasis on endocrinology. Other break-out sessions included an introduction to how the RCSI Virtual Learning Environment 'Moodle' supports learning in the programme, delivered by Eric Clarke, Lecturer in Health Informatics at RCSI and a session focusing on the importance of good communication skills to clinical practice, given by Dr. Asiya Suleiman, GEP Clinical Tutor and RCSI Graduate. Attendees also met current GEP students for to hear their experiences of the programme. Dr. Martin Rourke, (RCSI GEP Graduate) presented and discussed the transition from Medical Student to Internship. The Open Day concluded with a question and answer session.

Speaking about the GEP Open Day, Céleste Golden said, ‘Open Days are important showpiece events for RCSI and no doubt result in many students deciding that medicine and more specifically, RCSI GEP is for them. GEP Open Days undoubtedly contribute to the success of the programme which was recognised in 2010 by accreditation by the Irish Medical Council.'

The GEP Open Day evaluation was very positive with some feedback comments below:

"Thanks for a great day, it was fantastically organised and incredibly informative. I am crossing all fingers and toes that I get offered a place in RCSI in August. It would be a dream come true. It's so refreshing to see a medical programme that is focused on patient needs, communication and clinical practice from such an early stage.

Thanks so much for today I found it particularly enlightening and comprehensive.

I found this day very useful. I thought it gave a good flavor of what all aspects of the four year programme contains from teaching methods and facilities to the practicalities of student life.